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Coronation Street Wiki:The Golden Fifty survey
As part of Coronation Street's fiftieth anniversary celebrations in 2010, Corriepedia embarking on a mission to find out who were our readers' and editors' fifty all-time favourite Coronation Street characters. To that end, an online survey was held on Kwiksurveys (details below) from 1st July to 31st August 2010, the results of which were revealed exlusively by Corriepedia in a countdown beginning on 1st October, with the final results revealed on the day of the anniversary itself, the 9th December 2010. How it works The survey is designed to be a comprehensive opinion poll, collecting data on viewer preferences covering a variety of Coronation Street topics, such as favourite characters and storylines. The poll is comprised of three sections: viewer profile, character scores and favourites. The largest of these sections is the character scores, in which voters are asked to give each character listed a score out of ten (although the voter may refrain from voting, if they do not feel they know or remember a particular character well enough). 200 characters were selected in the nomination round, and the main results of the survey will be the top fifty-placed characters as voted for by the participants of the poll. The nominees were: Questions The questions in the poll were as follows: Viewer profile*Are you: (/female) *Which age group are you in?: (Under 16-19) *Which county do you live in? uk *What year did you start watching Coronation Street? 2000 *Do you still watch it regularly?yer *Do you watch any other soaps?yer *If yes, is Coronation Street your favourite soap? yes Character scores*See above Favourites*Who are your top three current characters? *Who are your top three all-time favourite characters? *Who are your top three funniest characters? *Who is your favourite villain? *Who are your top three sexiest males? *Who are your top three sexiest females? *Which three characters would you most like to return? *What is your favourite Coronation Street family? *Who is your favourite Rovers Return landlord/landlady? *Who is your favourite Rovers Return barmaid? *Which is your favourite young couple? *Which is your favourite older couple? *Which is your favourite employer/employee relationship? *Which is your favourite sibling relationship? *Which is your favourite mother/daughter relationship? *Which is your favourite father/son relationship? *Which is your favourite friendship? *Which is your favourite rivalry/antagonistic relationship? *What is your most memorable storyline? *What are your three all-time favourite storylines? *What was your favourite character exit? *What was your favourite wedding? *What was your favourite action/disaster storyline? *What was your favourite comedy moment? *What was your favourite affair? *What was your favourite single episode? *What do you think was the best year of Coronation Street in the 1960s? *What do you think was the best year of Coronation Street in the 1970s? *What do you think was the best year of Coronation Street in the 1980s? *What do you think was the best year of Coronation Street in the 1990s? *What do you think was the best year of Coronation Street in the 2000s? Results The top fifty countdown began on the 1st October. On each weekday from that date to the anniversary on 9th December, a result is revealed on here and the Main page. The most recent result is Tony Gordon at No.50. The results so far: 50. Tony Gordon ]] First appeared: 16th September 2007 Last appeared: 9th June 2010 Profile: Scottish-born Tony wanted to make a million by his fortieth birthday, and would do anything to protect his investments, in which he included his fiancé and business partner Carla Connor. Tony showed his true nature when he had Carla's secret lover Liam killed in a hit and run to get him out of the way, but lost Carla when she found out. To his surprise, he then found himself falling in love with Liam's pregnant widow Maria and his feelings were reciprocated. Tony was driven to protect his new happy life with Maria by trying to kill Roy Cropper after confessing his crimes to him when he was close to death after a heart attack, but guilt led Tony to rescue Roy and turn himself into the police. In 2010, he escaped prison with the intention of killing Carla for wrecking his life but Carla escaped his clutches again and left him to die in a factory blaze. Remembered for: His evil stare. Disliking bats and Glasgow Rangers. Setting fire to the factory. Played by: Gray O'Brien 49. Minnie Caldwell with Bobby]] First appeared: 14th December 1960 Last appeared: 7th April 1976 Profile: In the early 1960s, the Snug of the Rovers Return was the stronghold of three pensioners. Minnie Caldwell was the quietest of the three, and usually sat in silence while her friends Ena Sharples and Martha Longhurst bickered, occasionally chiming in with an (often bizarre) comment. Often appearing docile or simple minded, Minnie was bossed around by her friends, with Ena usually taking making it her responsibility to talk Minnie out of her "daft ideas". As a widow with no children, Minnie lived alone at No.5 Coronation Street but supplemented her pension by taking in lodgers, including "Sunny Jim" Jed Stone, who to Minnie was the son she never had. Her biggest love (and obsession) was her cat Bobby, much to Ena's bemusement. Remembered for: Being able to silence Ena Sharples. Her cat obsession. Sunny Jim. Going missing. Played by: Margot Bryant 48. Rosie Webster promotes Cherry Vodka]] First appeared: 25th December 1990 Profile: When Sally Webster decided that only the best would be acceptable for her daughters, Rosie, being the eldest, became Sally's guinea pig. Rosie was therefore educated at Oakhill Grammer School, which instilled in her the idea that she was somehow better than her fellow Street residents, but she lacked the intelligence or maturity to succeed. Her ambitions were usually driven by glamour or money, and she enjoyed manipulating men, including John Stape, with whom she had an affair at 16. Her closest brush with wealth came when John gave her £150,000 by way of apology for holding her captive for several weeks, but she lost it when Luke Strong conned her into buying Underworld shares he didn't own. More recently, Rosie has supported her younger sister Sophie during Sophie's relationship with Sian Powers. Remembered for: Being born in Don Brennan's taxi. The goth phase. Her kidnap by John Stape. Played by: Emma Collinge (1990-1999), Helen Flanagan (2000-2010) 47. Liz McDonald in the late 2000s]] First appeared: 27th October 1989 Profile: Fiery haired Liz moved into No.11 with ex-Army sergeant husband Jim and their twin sons Steve and Andy in 1989. Liz and Jim had a stormy marriage due to Jim's temper and paranoia over Liz's affairs, but Liz liked men with a hint of danger about them and kept going back to Jim after periods of separation. Liz was willing to wait for him when he was in prison for manslaughter but finally divorced him when he assaulted another inmate, preventing his early release. Liz's next serious relationship was with drummer Vernon Tomlin, but months after marrying him she realised he didn't excite her as Jim had, and she broke it off. In 2006, Liz became licensee and landlady of the Rovers Return, where she had worked on and off since 1990. Liz ran the pub with Steve, with them often battling for authority and living space. Remembered for: Giving birth to Katie prematurely. Being assaulted by Jim. Her friendship with Deirdre. Played by: Beverley Callard 46. Peter Barlow as played by Chris Gascoyne]] First appeared: 5th April 1965 Profile: Peter Barlow was never his father's son. He grew up in Scotland, in the care of his late mum Val's parents following her death. After years of occasional visits to Weatherfield (with or without a Scottish accent), and a few years in the Navy, Peter returned permanently in 2000 and bought the Rosamund Street Bookies. Peter took a long time to settle down, as he didn't know what he wanted, particularly where his love life was concerned. In 2003 this lead to disaster when he married Lucy Richards and Shelley Unwin and led a double life as he tried to keep them from finding out about each other. Ultimately he lost both, but in 2008 he took custody of son Simon when Lucy died. Landed with a son he didn't want, Peter turned to drink and had a long battle with alcoholism. He was helped by Leanne Battersby, who he got engaged to in 2010. Remembered for: So many, many actors. The bigamy. The booze. Played by: John Heannaue, Christopher Dormer, Linus Roache (1973-1975), Joseph McKenna (1977-1978), David Lonsdale (1986), Chris Gascoyne (2000-2010) 45. Shelley Unwin is 45th]] First appeared: 9th May 2001 Last appeared: 29th September 2006 Profile: Shelley Unwin was installed as a barmaid of the Rovers Return by landlord Duggie Ferguson in 2001. Bubbly and friendly but also strong-minded, Shelley soon became a fixture behind the bar and popular with the locals. Her time in the Street was highlighted by two major romances which caused her much heartache - the first was Peter Barlow, who she married only to find out he was already married to Lucy Richards and he had lied to her, and the second was womanizer Charlie Stubbs, whose controlling nature caused her to develop agorophobia. It wasn't until hers and Charlie's wedding day that she realised he was to blame for destroying her life, and dumped him. In 2006, Shelley left Weatherfield and her mother Bev to take a job as landlady of a pub in the Peak District. Remembered for: Dating Peter Kay. Dumping Charlie at the altar. Her bigamous marriage to Peter. Played by: Sally Lindsay 44. Eddie Yeats sups in the Rovers]] First appeared: 23rd December 1974 Last appeared: 30th November 1987 Profile: Eddie Yeats wasn't a welcome face when he arrived in Coronation Street on release from prison in 1976. The disreputable Scouse had fallen on hard times and lived off the generosity of others, while making money by doing favours for any of his endless string of jailbird mates. People naturally didn't trust him but not because they thought he was dangerous - rather, they considered him useless and a leech, albeit a well-meaning one. He struck a chord with Stan and Hilda Ogden at No.13 and Hilda let him move in as a lodger when he got a full-time job on the bins, whereupon Eddie became something of a son to them. In 1983, he married Marion Willis and the couple moved to Bury to be closer to Marion's ill mother. Remembered for: Comedy with the Ogdens. Liverpool. Helping Bet through her grief over Martin Downes's death. Played by: Geoffrey Hughes 43. David Platt , son of Gail and Martin]] First appeared: 26th December 1990 Profile: The move of Martin Platt to Liverpool to start a new family in 2005 triggered a change in son David, who suffered from the loss of his father from his day-to-day life. With growing feelings of abandonment and resentment towards his family, David turned into an isolated lad who blamed mum Gail for his maladjustment, and, as revenge, committed acts specifically designed to distress her. In 2008 he found some purpose in life when he fell for Tina McIntyre, who went out with him for a year but has since went off him. David, however, remains determined to win Tina back with a dogged determination bordering on obsession. He is especially put out by the fact that Tina is now dating his best friend Graeme Proctor. Remembered for: Evil David. Pushing Gail down the stairs. Tina. Played by: Thomas Ormson (1990-2000), Jack P. Shepherd (2000-2010) The Top 50 so far 42. Albert Tatlock , war hero]] First appeared: 9th December 1960 Last appeared: 25th January 1984 Profile: Albert Tatlock was a man whose glory years were well behind him even by the second World War. His most prized possessions were his war medals and memories of that time; it was to his consternation in his twilight years that someone who had fought for his country such as himself had to live on such a meagre pension. To many Street residents, Albert was a bitter old man, forever complaining about the trivial hardships he faced every day. He expected support from his family but was too proud to ask for it - it ultimately fell to his late niece Valerie's husband Ken Barlow to care for him in the latter years of his life. He died in 1984, having lived in the same house since 1919. Remembered for: The grumpiness. Ken speaking fondly of him. The Rovers toilets being in his kitchen. Played by: Jack Howarth The Top 50 so far 41. Jim McDonald , so 'e is]] First appeared: 29th October 1989 Last appeared: 20th August 2009 Profile: Short-tempered Jim McDonald moved to Coronation Street with Liz, Steve and Andy in 1989 after leaving a 10-year army career. Jim tried to keep the badly behaved twins in check but they enjoyed defying him; it was usually up to Liz to play peacemaker. After messing up several jobs due to his temper or his pride, Jim lost Liz when he thumped brewery official Richard Willmore, convinced he was having an affair with Liz (he wasn't). Jim and Liz continued to separate and reconcile for several years. In 2000, Jim received a prison sentence for manslaughter when he beat up Jez Quigley in retaliation for Jez setting people on Steve, and Jez died in hospital. Jim was released in 2007 and moved on to pastures new. Remembered for: His strong Northern Ireland accent. Falling off the scaffolding and ending up in a wheelchair. Beating Jez Quigley. Played by: Charles Lawson 40. Kevin Webster ]] First appeared: 19th October 1983 Profile: Kevin Webster first appeared in Coronation Street in 1983. The cheerful car mechanic married Sally Seddon in 1986 and they bought No.13, going on to raise Rosie and Sophie in the house. Upon owning his own car repair garage, Kevin thought he had all he could want, satisfied with an uncomplicated life, but his affair with Natalie Horrocks in 1997 led to the Websters' eventual divorce. In 2002 Sally married him again for the sake of the girls and Kevin was lucky to get back the life he had wrecked - but marrying without a two-way loving relationship proved to be problematic, with both having extramarital affairs during their rockier second marriage. Remembered for: Having a 'tache in the 80s. His affairs with Natalie Horrocks and Molly Dobbs. The deaths of Alison and Jake. Played by: Michael Le Vell 39. Phyllis Pearce ]] First appeared: 20th September 1982 Last appeared: 15th May 1996 Profile: Phyllis Pearce was a lonely widow who worked at Jim's Cafe. Despite her years she was vivacious and got a thrill when someone took an interest in her. Most of her attentions were lavished on fellow pensioner Percy Sugden, and she wouldn't take no for an answer even though her feelings were not reciprocated. When Percy moved in with Emily Bishop as a lodger, Phyllis thought she had a romantic rival and warned Percy that Emily was only after his body. Phyllis later worked as a housekeeper for Des Barnes at No.6, a job she enjoyed as the house had all mod cons but she sometimes had to put Des in his place over his philandering. Remembered for: Her purple-rinse hair. Chasing after Percy. The gravelly voice. Played by: Jill Summers 38. Alec Gilroy ]] First appeared: 26th June 1972 Last appeared: 30th December 1998 Profile: Alec Gilroy was always on the lookout for something better. He turned his back on married life for a career as a showbusiness manager, but ended up in a rut as manager of the Graffiti Club. In 1987 Alec became the unlikely husband of Rovers landlady Bet Lynch as Bet couldn't afford the Rovers tenancy on her own. Morose Alec was a counterpoint to brassy Bet and inevitably their marriage only lasted a few years; in 1992 he took a job as entertainments manager on a cruise ship. He returned to Weatherfield in 1996 and was engaged to Rita Sullivan but she broke it off when she realised that she came a distant third in his affections, behind himself and his money. Remembered for: Marrying Bet. Being a penny-pincher. Battling the Duckworths. Played by: Roy Barraclough External links *Coronation Street - The Golden Fifty survey at Kwiksurveys